


Navigating

by kittmoon



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Cannon-Typical Violence, Developing Companionship, Friendship, Gen, Goddess Powers (hell yeah), Oneshot, PTSD, Post-Calamity, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25037713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittmoon/pseuds/kittmoon
Summary: His job is to guide her. To take her from the castle to Kakariko, to make sure she gets there safely. To take her away from all she’s had to face. Except she doesn’t talk about it - not because she’s scared to, but because she doesn’t yet feel the need to. And as she looks at him, with the eyes of a goddess, Link can’t help but feel as though he’s meant to pick up the missing pieces. But what can he do, when he already has so many missing pieces in his own life?(A.k.a. Zelda being a literal goddess and Link trying to figure out what the hell that even means)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 97





	Navigating

The first time Zelda got blood on herself, it hadn’t been her fault. 

They decided to camp in a cave that night, one located west of Hyrule Field that looked over the river. It had been only hours since the Calamity’s defeat, and Zelda couldn’t make it very far. Link couldn’t either - they were both clean and dressed in fresh clothes, but still aching and wary. 

The two of them had barely spoken since they arrived at the cave - Link knew the quickest way to Wetland Stable would be to cut through Hyrule Field. He had taken care to guide their horse away from the crumbled structures to the south, past the Mabe Village ruins. The Princess didn’t need to see any more of that than she had to for the moment. 

As he unloaded his belongings from Epona, Zelda sat on the cave floor towards its entrance, staring out at the flowing river below. She sat with her hands folded in her lap and her back straight - perhaps the trainings of a princess still ran through her. 

Link summoned some wood and some flint from the Sheikah slate to start a fire. As he struck it with a rock, he kept his eyes on her.

They hadn’t talked. He knew they should at some point, but he couldn’t imagine talking to Zelda about everything now, when the broken shell of Hyrule Castle still loomed in the distance. He could see the shadow of it on her face - shallow scars. They couldn’t talk about it now. 

He was so lost in thought that when she spoke he almost dropped the flint, which had thus far failed in its duty to ignite.  
“Where will we go?” She asked, her tone wistful. 

Link paused before answering, suddenly questioning his plans. “We’re headed to Wetland Stable - there’s a horse that you can travel with. From there, there’s a path, a shortcut. To Kakariko.” He said the last part softly, wondering how she would take the knowledge that they’d be heading there so soon. 

Sure enough, Zelda’s shoulders tensed, and she did not look back at him. “Kakariko?”

Link waited a few moments, striking the flint a few more times before a fire was successfully lit. He added a few more pieces of kindling. “Yes. I’m- sure Impa will want to see you.”

Her tone had become even more faint. “Impa...” 

They didn’t speak of it further. Zelda remained at her seat by the mouth of the cave, head leaning against the craggly wall. Link prepared a haphazard meal of carrots and mushroom skewers, maintaining his watch on Zelda. She still, barely half a day after Ganon’s defeat, looked completely unharmed and beautiful. She still wore her prayer gown, as white and silken and soft as it had been 100 years ago, one of the most vivid memories in Link’s head. Her hair flowed down past her shoulders in long, golden tresses, not having grown a single inch since Ganon had swallowed her. Skin entirely unblemished, her eyes, whenever he could stand to look into them, still reflected a brilliant turquoise. _How on earth._

Cooking became more of a challenge as the minutes wore on. His bruised fingers kept fumbling the mushrooms, and his eyes were seeing double when he began seasoning them. His body was reaching its limit, he knew. He felt strained, his legs and back sore and pounding. When he finished, he called Zelda over in a tired voice. She stood up and turned, walking over and sitting by the fire. Her gaze was far away. 

Link and Zelda ate in relative quiet that evening. Link had assumed, he supposed rather poorly, that Zelda would have been more talkative. She seemed almost demure, placid in her exhaustion, and he couldn’t blame her. He himself barely felt like talking, and by the end of the night, they had both settled onto their bedrolls in silence. 

Before Link closed his eyes, he heard her whisper from across the cave. 

“Goodnight, Link.” 

He turned his head to look at her, but her eyes were already closed, her breathing slow and deep. “Yes.” He mumbled, brain fuzzy with exhaustion as he succumbed to sleep. 

He did not dream. His ethereal body was suspended beyond reality, caught in a murky black. He did not feel himself. He did not feel her. 

He woke to a sharp scream. 

Eyes snapping open, Link quickly unfurled himself and looked to where Zelda was - he could barely make out her form, the embers of the fire having died out hours before. She was pinned to the ground, frozen in fear, hands held up in pathetic defense against the lizalfo that crowed over her. Its dangerous jaws snapped as it growled at her, its wrist shining in the dark as it held a menacing blade - a boomerang. 

Link moved faster than he ever remembered doing, springing up to grab the Sheikah slate. He’d been so tired that he’d forgot to keep an emergency weapon out, but at the cost of Zelda’s life? How could he have let his guard down so easily?

The creature was distracted by Link’s sudden movement. It swiveled it’s head, letting out a reptilian shriek as it stepped away from Zelda and whirled to face Link. 

Link thanked his muscle memory, his fast-paced swiping through the slate summoning a guardian spear. Gripping it tightly, he didn’t hesitate, lunging at the lizalfo with full force. 

Zelda yelped as above her the lizalfo was pinned to the cavern wall, the spear scraping the rock as it drove straight through the monster’s head. The lizalfo cried out as blood spewed from its eyes. Link snarled, ripping out the spear out of the lizalfo’s head and shoving the creature to the ground. The monster choked and spat before it perished, disappearing in a puff of smoke. 

Link was panting, still clutching the guardian spear in his sweaty palms, staring at the one object the lizalfo had left in its wake: the boomerang. Shining and bloodless - it never had the chance to fight. 

How did that happen? It must have wandered over from the river. Link’s brain fought itself back and forth. He should have stayed up and kept watch, he scolded himself. He’d just saved the princess from her prison with Ganon; it had been foolish of him to assume that they would be free of encounters for a day. And at the risk of the Princess’s life! 

But, the exhausted part of himself argued, how was he to know this would happen? He had been so close to sleep that attempting to stay up and keep a lookout would have been impossible, if not downright dangerous. Why was he worrying? This could be an isolated incident - he had stopped the lizalfo. Zelda wasn’t hurt. Everything was fine. 

A small shuffling noise caught his attention. He looked to the side and saw the princess still crouched on her bedroll. She had several splotches of blood on her prayer gown, and she was looking up at him with no expression other than concern. 

Link dropped his spear, immediately kneeling down and grabbing the slate. “Princess, I’m-“ He exhaled as a feeling of panic and shame began pooling in his gut. He began frantically swiping through the slate’s contents, searching for something, anything, that could be used to clean the gown. Her _sacred_ gown. “Your gown, I didn’t mean-“ 

“It’s alright.” Zelda said quietly. She didn’t sound mad - she didn’t quite sound like anything, staring down at the bloodstains as if she had only just noticed them. She grabbed Link’s wrist, halting his panicked fumbling, though she kept her eyes on her dress. “I’m sure if I just-“ She suddenly stood, and Link stood with her, stepping several feet back to give her space. 

She gazed towards the mouth of the cave, her expression blank. “...I’ll go down to the river.” She said.

“No.” Link sighed, still keeping his distance. “That’s probably where the lizalfo came from. I think there’s a small pond up the hill.“ 

“Okay.” She turned to him. “Take me there, please.” 

She followed him out of the cave and up the hill. Link kept looking back, expecting her to yell or at least chide him about the blood, but she didn’t. She simply walked, eyeing the grass beneath her feet in a dreamy concentration. With the cool night air, he noticed how sticky he felt below his chin, and realized that he also had patches of blood on his neck and chest. 

Epona was parked halfway up the hill, tied by the reigns to an old fence post, whinnying as they approached. Zelda requested the slate, which Link let her have, watching her summon an apple and feed it to the horse, who nuzzled her head affectionately. 

When they got to the pond at the top of the hill, Zelda walked ahead of him, and didn’t stop walking. She strode straight into the water and exhaled. 

Link knew what was about to happen before it happened - the water stilled, the nighttime wind ceasing to affect its surface. The princess’s skin began to glow, soft and golden. He could see her clearly in the night now as her outline shimmered, drops of golden magic rolling off her skin and into the pond, creating swirls of gold against the still water. 

The white of her gown was almost as bright as her form underneath it, angelic white. Any bloodstains that may have once stained the cloth were now entirely invisible against the blinding light. 

Zelda turned around to face Link, the water shifting only with her movements as she gazed at him. Her eyes glowed yellow-green, her turquoise irises drowned by a film of gold. The swirls of magic in the water shined brighter as the evidence of violence dissolved from her being.

Link kneeled to the Goddess. He wished he didn’t have so many questions. 

—:::—

One of the first things the two of them did after the Calamity’s defeat was bathe. 

Although Zelda was clean, having ethereally drifted down from the sky, she needed a clear head. Link was downright disgusting, covered in blood and grime. His original idea had been for them to head to the river, but Zelda has rejected this. There was, after all, a water reservoir in Caste Town that they could wash themselves up in. 

Link could think of several reasons not to do this, the least of which being that the water in the reservoir would definitely not be clean. Zelda has rejected this as well, simply stating that “it would suit both of them fine”. 

With that apparently settled, the two of them rode on Epona’s back to the Castle Town Gate. Link was tense on the short journey there, fully aware that the now soulless carcasses of guardians surrounding the outer wall had been merciless robots no less than an hour before. But to his subtle shock, they rode through the ruins easily. The wind blew straight and clear through the crumbled city. Skywatcher Guardians had fallen from the sky upon Ganon’s sealing, and were now dead on the ground. 

Link wondered how Zelda could ride through this without hesitation - but she never said a word. Every time he looked at her, her eyes were transfixed on the sky. 

The water at the reservoir was dark and still, with thick with plats of algae turning it a murky green. It looked like the opposite of a bath site. Link held back from changing out of his Champion’s tunic, half-tempted to suggest they travel back towards the Hylia River. Zelda paused at the water’s edge, but instead of turning back, she walked straight in, and Link had never been more stunned. 

The edges of her body seemed to turn to liquid as she stepped into the water. Her entire form glowed a soft gold, droplets of magic rolling off of her and swirling into the water. Her hair became a golden waterfall, thick curls that spread across the water’s surface and trailed behind her as she strode further in.

She had looked back at him then, too, and he had almost gasped out in full adoration. The water shone beneath her, and as she heaved easy breaths waves rippled outwards from her body and clarified the small lake. Dirt and slime dissolved from the water, and she stood in the center of it, the apex of her own holy spring. She shimmered so intensely that Link wondered in one brief, terrifying suspension of a moment if she was a mirage, a figment of his desperate mind, hungry to truly see her. 

She wasn’t. She dunked her head under the water, and when she came out, the glow seeped off of her, dimming as it spread across the water. She waded out of the reservoir, soaking wet but at peace. It took Link a moment before he realized he was staring. He swallowed and tuned away. 

Behind him, he heard the frizzed noise of Zelda squeezing out her hair, droplets of water hitting the dirt. “I’ll turn around while you bathe,” he heard her say. 

He had wanted to speak, to ask her what had happened. Did she even know that had happened? That it would happen the second she entered the water? 

But he didn’t speak. Because he realized, then, that the Zelda he knew now had somehow changed from the Zelda he had known 100 years ago. The question left to him was simply if he was meant to understand the difference. 

—:::—

The second time Zelda got blood on herself, she’d done exactly what she’d needed to do. Link should have been proud. 

The bokoblins weren’t a problem by themselves. Link knew there was a tribe of them that rode on horseback, near the outskirts of Rebonae Bridge. But what he hadn’t expected was for there to have so many - at least seven trotting around on their horses in the grass, clonking and garbling at each other with wooden spears clenched in their fists. 

There was a small nest of trees that they saw as they approached. Link halted Epona’s strides, sliding off the saddle and holding out his hand for Zelda to grab and hop off as well. She looked at him as she held his hand - one of the few times they had touched since she had materialized out of the sky. 

Link removed his hand and nodded to the bokoblins. “I can deal with them. Wait here.” 

He heard a faint “Be careful.” from Zelda as he took the Sheikah slate, summoning a traveler’s bow, some ice and bomb arrows, and the master sword. He slung the weapons onto his back and threw up his hood. 

“Link.” 

He turned to look at her. She was no longer dressed in her prayer gown - after bathing at the pond the previous evening, she’d asked if he had anything, literally anything else she could wear. Link had inwardly chided himself for not having offered anything to her earlier. His Hylian tunic was made up of multiple pieces of clothing - she’d chosen to wear the blue long-sleeve undershirt with his climbing pants. The muted colors of the outfit made her sunflower hair that much more vibrant, a fact that he’d almost pointed out before he’d remembered that it would’ve been an idiotic thing to say. 

“You forgot a shield.” 

He blinked. “Oh.” 

Before he could take out the slate to summon one, Zelda walked over to Epona and pulled out a shield from one of the heavier packs. Link recognized it instantly - the Hylian Shield. It still shined silver, despite being covered in scratches and dried blood. It hadn’t been washed since he had faced Ganon, and it was the only piece of equipment not stored in the slate. 

She walked over to him, holding it out. “You can use this one—“

Thrown, Link cut her off by shaking his head. 

Zelda paused a few feet away, looking at him with a strange mixture of trepidation and exhaustion. She clutched the shield awkwardly in her hands. “Why?” 

When he didn’t immediately respond, she continued. “This is the best shield in all of Hyrule. It has outlasting durability; it would be wise to take it into battle.“ 

Link swallowed. “I’d rather wash it before I use it again. I also have this—“ He took out the slate, quickly summoning a Lynel shield, “—which works best in aerial combat.” He strapped it to his back. 

Zelda looked as though she were about to call his bluff, but before she could, he turned and and began climbing a nearby tree. 

Link could feel her eyes on him as he sat at the top, crouched with his bow in his hands. He furrowed his eyebrows, wishing he had a Lynel bow, which could shoot three arrows at once. 

Eleven bokoblins. Each on a horse - eleven horses. He nocked back an arrow, eying the bokoblin that rode the farthest away, the distance between it and Link’s tree about 60 feet. 

_fwp._

The ice arrow made an arc across the field, sinking into the bokoblin’s shoulder. There was a small cry as the creature turned to ice, frozen in shock. It’s horse whinnied in surprise, kicking up its front hooves and shrieking out a startled _”Neeiigh!”_. 

The other bokoblins watched, entirely still in morbid fascination as the frozen monster slid off its frightened horse and onto the ground. The ice broke, and so too did the bokoblin, dying out with a puff of violet smoke. Its horse ran. 

It was mildly easy after that. With the monsters distracted, Link sent two more ice arrows flying into the next two bokoblins that were closest, freezing them where they sat in their saddles. The remaining bokoblins shrieked, their horses beginning to whinny uneasily as their masters fell. Ice arrows halted three more bokoblins in their tracks as they moved to inspect their surroundings. The remaining five abandoned their horses, spears at full attention as they stomped around in anger.  
Link switched out his arrows, adjusting his bow as he aimed a bomb, ready to let it fly into the center of the group -

A gasp, sharp and high, pierced its way through Link’s awareness. Startled, he glanced over his shoulder. A wave of panic shot down to his stomach when he saw Zelda, eyes wide and mouth open, staring at a silver bokoblin that was dashing towards her. 

_Shit!_

Link whirled, jumping high from his crouch in the tree and shooting a flimsily-aimed bomb arrow at the bokoblin. There was a deafening _BOOM_ , and the bokoblin screeched as it flew to the left. Its dragonbone club spun out of its hand, landing right in front of Zelda. 

The princess stared. She seemed frozen but entirely placid as the bokoblin scrambled up and looked around for his mystery attacker. 

Link landed hard on the ground, grunting. Zelda looked at him, her expression only questioning. He blinked at her, then glanced at the club. She reached to pick it up, gripping it in her limp wrist. 

The remaining five bokoblins squealed in glee as they located the two infiltrators. The silver bokoblin, who had spotted them as well, began rushing towards them empty-handed. 

Link growled in frustration, stringing another bomb arrow and letting it fly towards the five bokoblins. They yelped and shrieked as the bomb missed its mark by a few feet, not hitting them directly with the blast but instead knocking a few trees over into their path. 

With little time left, he turned to Zelda. “Run towards it,” he knocked his head towards the silver bokoblin, “with your club.” 

Zelda blinked. “What—“

 _”Go!”_ Link hissed, shooting another bomb towards the group of bokoblins. This arrow hit its mark on one, immediately disintegrating it and one of its neighbors, leaving three others sprawled away. Shooting another bomb took care of the rest of them. 

Zelda narrowed her eyes, turning fully towards the silver monster. She suddenly barred her teeth, pushing into a full sprint and rushing towards it. Link, who quickly switched his arrows again, aimed an ice arrow towards the silver bokoblin. 

And paused. 

He shouldn’t be pausing, but there was no way he couldn’t. He suddenly felt caught, his body entirely still, watching the Princess. She wasn’t yelling - she was silent, dashing towards the snarling creature with an unexpected calmness. When she was close enough it swung an empty claw, attempting to swipe at her face. Without hesitation, Zelda dodged, crouching low and sliding on on her ankles. Jumping up, she spun to face the back of the confused bokoblin and threw a well-timed swing at the back of its head with the dragonbone club. The monster fell to its knees, huffing and sniveling in anger and pain. 

Zelda looked over her shoulder at Link, and her face had that same questioning look. Link could only stare at her eyes - green, sparkling. Unbothered. 

Remembering his place, Link let the ice arrow fly. It whizzed through the air, releasing a _twing_ upon striking the bokoblin’s temple. The monster froze. Zelda lifted her arm, ready to strike the final blow. Her eyes were hard as she gripped the club. 

Link should have felt proud. But he found that the only thing that gripped him was shame. Shame as she raised the club above the frozen creature, shame as she swung it down, the harsh _crack_ of the breaking ice cutting through the wind like a bullet. The silver bokoblin made no sound as it fell, disintegrating in an acrid cloud of purple. 

Link could see the remains of it where Zelda stood. Walking over warily, he noticed an opal and topaz glinting from among the spilled guts and horns. He saw that she had blood on her chest, spread abstractedly across her breasts and waist. Link just blinked at it, pursing his lips at the sight of his princess splashed with blood. 

She had the decency to look mildly embarrassed, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, and Link clenched a fist behind his back. “I probably didn’t dispose of the monster in the most efficient manner.” 

“Quite the opposite.” Was Link’s reply, spilling out before he could stop himself. Her expression changed, morphing back into questioning neutrality. He bit his lip, unsure of how to face that look. He continued, somewhat adjacently, “I apologize, Princess. You should never have been in any danger, much less be forced into combat.” 

She cocked her head at him. Her eyes did not change - waters ever still. “It’s quite alright. Neither of us saw the silver bokoblin coming.” She let out a small huff that might have been a laugh. “I seem to have handled it, anyway. Aren’t you proud, knight?” 

Link felt acid run through his blood at the word, that heedlessly-given title. He blinked rapidly, not having expected that feeling to claw at him from the inside. He exhaled softly in bleak surprise. 

At his reaction, the princess did start to look genuinely concerned, which only made him feel more hot. “Are you okay?” She asked, reaching her hand up to touch his shoulder. He let her, only because his panic wasn’t fast enough to pull him away. 

Her eyes. They weren’t blank and tired anymore, they were analytical, suddenly flicking back and forth across his face, scanning his neck and shoulders. She bit her lip, raising her hand to touch his forehead, furrowing her eyebrows. “You don’t seem ill. Perhaps heading into combat straight after Ganon’s defeat is still too soon, even for a knight as impressive as yoursel-“ 

She stopped speaking as he gripped her wrist. She looked so familiar like this, achingly familiar, with her brow furrowed in concentration and her eyes skimmed with worry. He wished he could remember this, that he could form a memory in his brain to recall a time that she examined something the way she studied him now. Instead he felt empty, the sinking feeling of familiarity falling flat with no memory to latch onto. He felt the words build up in his throat, spilling from his mouth in tumbling trails. “Please...don’t call me that, Princess. I’m not a knight anymore.” 

She blinked at him, then responded with an even slice. “And yet...you refer to me as a princess.” She turned to look over her shoulder, gaze stretching towards the hollow castle. “I cannot be a princess if my castle is in ruins and my kingdom has fallen.” She did not sound sad, and Link couldn’t for the life of him understand why. 

He could hear the cracking in his voice as he replied, “I definitely can’t be a knight if I don’t remember anything of it.” He looked down at the grass. He saw the glinting topaz in his peripheral. “You have always been a princess at heart.” 

She seemed genuinely surprised at his answer, turning a strange shade of light pink. “Link, I—“

“Please”, he heard himself continue, “Let’s keep going, on to the stable. I have a horse there waiting for you.” 

Zelda bit her lip, but her eyes then drifted up, looking past him over his shoulder. Link glanced behind him to see two people walking towards them, heading towards Rebonae Bridge - a man and woman, a little older than they were, happily chatting and gesturing towards the cloudy sky. The man seemed to be carrying a small bundle in his arms. 

The woman saw them first and jogged over, her large travel-pack swinging back and forth. “Hello!” She greeted, glancing back up at the storm clouds gathered on the horizon. “Are you heading that way?” She asked, pointing beyond the bridge towards Wetland Stable. 

Link nodded cautiously, wondering vaguely if the woman was a Yiga footman. He wouldn’t have been surprised, but his questioning brain stopped short as the man approached - he was carrying not just a random bundle, but a bundle holding a baby. Link could clearly see the small tuft of hair sticking messily upwards, as well as the tiny fists that gripped the edge of the blanket. 

The woman smiled at them. “I’d get there quickly- there’s certainly a storm on its way. It’s where we’re headed, if you’d like to travel with us.” 

Behind him, Zelda still hadn’t spoken. It occurred to Link that she had only interacted with _him_ since she resumed her human form, having not spoken to a single other person in her new kingdom. With this in mind, he answered for them. “No thanks, that’s okay.” 

The child in the blankets began to stir from her steady calm, and the man carefully handed the baby over to his wife. He looked at Link. “We’ve heard there are some monsters up the road. We met a merchant who said there was a great beast guarding the river - hopefully you get to the stable quickly.” He turned to the woman. “Let’s go now.” 

She smiled at the two of them, eyes lingering on Zelda, who still did not speak. “Perhaps we’ll see you there.” She turned then with her husband, cooing at the baby as they walked away. 

Link turned fully to Zelda, who gazed wistfully after the couple. “They have a child...” The murmur was soft. 

Link said nothing, opting not to engage, turning instead to find out where Epona had run off to - surely somewhere. He felt a twinge of regret at the thought of his terrified horse fleeing the battle. 

He let out a sharp whistle, but heard no sound in response. He sighed, but before he could walk farther back up the path, Zelda continued, muttering distantly. “How many generations must have occurred since the Calamity...? Surely three, at least, although I’m unsure of the current Hylian lifespan. Perhaps it has extended in the past 100 years. Or...would it have shortened, without access to common medicine that would have been available back then...?” 

He turned back to stare at her, but was surprised to find her looking right back at him. He blinked, before he realized that she was _asking_ him. 

“I’m- sorry, Princess, I honestly have no idea.” 

“Well, surely you’ve seen a Hylian pass away during your travels?” 

Startled, Link shook his head rapidly, spluttering, “No, no! I haven’t...”

“No?” Zelda didn’t seem to find her question odd. “Well, who’s the oldest Hylian you’ve met? Other than the Sheikah...they certainly live longer than we do. Perhaps fewer generations have passed in the Sheikah tribes...”

Link’s brain felt sluggish, trying to keep up with what exactly the princess was trying to work out. “I...don’t know. I think there were some elderly villagers in Hateno... if I remember correctly, their parents witnessed the Calamity, but they themselves have little memory of it.” 

He jogged a few paces down the path and whistled again. This time, he heard Epona’s whinny, her hooves thumping through the dirt to make her way back to him. He sighed in relief. 

Behind him, Zelda let out a huff of realization, and Link suddenly felt a jab in his gut at the sound. It was so _familiar._ But when did she do that? Why couldn’t he remember anything specific enough? 

“That would mean...goddess, at least four generations, wouldn’t it?” Zelda was grinning at the sky. “How marvelous.” 

Link turned away from her, watching as Epona galloped down the path towards them. As the horse approached, a low rumble of thunder rolled across the clouds, and Link could smell the oncoming rain. 

He helped Zelda onto Epona before hoisting himself up, urging his horse to a steady trot. He spoke lowly. “I’m going to try to get us to the stable as quickly as I can, before the rain.” 

Zelda didn’t say anything for a moment. He was about to ask for her confirmation, but then he felt her arms wrap around his waist. His breathing hitched slightly, but then he felt her lean her forehead against his back. 

“I haven’t felt rain on my skin in a hundred years.” She said. 

—:::—

She stood before him easily. As if she’d had an eternity to puzzle over what to say. 

“May I ask...do you really remember me?” 

He wished he felt more pain, that his wounds would hurt so much that he’d be more distracted. He wished it was cold outside, or hot, or that Epona was injured. Something, _anything_ to use as an excuse for why he wasn’t answering her. 

Instead he stood up straight, in the midst of a perfect spring day, facing the most important person in fractured life. But he didn’t remember anything about her. 

In honesty, he remembered a few things, bits that came to him over his year-long journey. Her hair, her shoulders, the way she walked when she was upset. Her prayer gown, the same one she wore in this moment, just as white and graceful as it had always been. Her mind, running miles a minute, wondering if the world was deceiving her. Perhaps that’s why she had been a scientist. 

He recalled specific moments with her. His inauguration ceremony, his saving her from the Yiga. The Spring of Power. Frog tests. Her tears. 

But he didn’t know what it was like for her to smile, to really smile. If he did have memory of it, it was trapped somewhere deep in his subconscious, with nothing to jumpstart it. He still couldn’t remember how he had truly felt about the princess, nor how she felt about him. He didn’t remember knowing her. He remembered existing next to her. 

But how could he say that? 

Zelda’s smile did not falter as she gazed at him, nothing other than pure relief painted on her face. He took several steps towards her and knelt, eyes on the green blades of grass. 

“Princess...I apologize for taking so long.” 

_To what? To answer her or to free her?_

“...I know you’ve—“

_More formal._

“—you have been watching my journey. And although I remember little of my previous life—“

 _Your actual life. These things really did happen, you know. It wasn’t a person outside of yourself._

“—I remember my duty to the kingdom the most. My duty to you. Please, Princess—“ 

_She doesn’t owe you a damn thing._

“—allow me to continue and grant you my service.” He looked up at her then. His brain blocked out her lips - he couldn’t have known if she was still smiling. He could only see her eyes, turquoise gems, radiant under Hyrule’s sun. “We can recover from this together.” 

He looked down again at the ground. He heard her voice in his ears. 

“Yes. We will.” She sounded satisfied. 

It had only been on their way back to Castle Town to bathe that it occurred to Link. 

_She may not need you anymore._

—:::—

The third time Zelda got blood on herself, it was the first time she had cried in a century. 

As it turned out, the travelers that they had met on their way to cross the river had been correct - there was a beast guarding the river. They were maybe 30 minutes away from the stable when Link spotted it, about a hundred feet away, the great outline of a golden lynel patrolling the river’s edge. 

Incredibly startled, Link gasped and yanked back the reigns on Epona, causing the horse to whinny in surprise. The lynel, which had been trotting away from them, halted in its tracks. It had almost definitely heard. 

Zelda’s grip on his shirt tightened. “Link, what—“ 

Blood was rushing through Link’s veins, and his heart felt like it was about to burst from his rib cage. How the _hell_ was there a golden lynel here, just casually making it’s way along this section of the river? Great beast indeed, but _why?_

Slowly, almost on autopilot as his mind sped up, he turned Epona 180 degrees and began guiding her into a steady trot in the opposite direction. _If we walk away, it shouldn’t come after us. Lynel are more territorial than anything else, right?_

Zelda’s voice came back to him. “Link. You’re shaking.” 

Looking down at his hands on the reigns, he saw them jittering back and forth. His head felt fuzzy. Without turning over his shoulder to look at her, he sighed. “I’m sorry. There’s—“

“A lynel, I saw.” 

His eyes drifted up to stare at the path ahead of them. They needed to get to Kakariko soon, and the path through Wetland stable would still be the best way to do it. “I‘ll have to fight it.” 

Zelda was silent for a moment before she responded, “A golden lynel. The most dangerous of its kind. More calculating than any Guardian.” 

He cleared his throat. “Yes.” By now, they had trotted around a curve, and turning back Link saw no lynel. It must not have followed them. 

“But - you just fought—“ 

“Calamity Ganon.” 

“—and you want to fight a golden lynel only two days after that.” 

“I don’t want to, Princess, but I have to. We need to get to the stable. It’s the quickest way to Kakariko.” 

Link pulled Epona over to the side of the path, along a sharp but short cliffside, hopping off and summoning a swift carrot to feed to her. 

He looked up at Zelda, who still sat on Epona’s back. Absentmindedly stroking the horse’s mane, she tilted her head. “Do we need to go to Kakariko?” 

It wasn’t a complaint, more of a pondering, but nonetheless it made Link think for a few moments before answering. “...Yes, we do. Impa needs to see that you’re alive and well.” Unsure of whether or not he was adding it as a joke, he said, “She would almost definitely flay me if something happened to you between the castle and Kakariko.” 

“Then we make sure nothing happens to me.” She slid off the saddle, though her hand continued to pet the horse. “We find a different route.” 

Link shook his head. “I don’t think the routes that I know are the same anymore.” He walked over to the cliff wall, leaning his back against the moss. “My guess is that after Ganon’s defeat the areas where monsters emerged switched around. Maybe it was a last-ditch effort to plague Hyrule before being sealed away. That probably means that monsters are popping up in unexpected places.” He paused, thinking of all the people he’d saved from monsters on the road. “There didn’t used to be a lynel here, much less a golden one. Golden monsters were rare - I’m hoping that hasn’t changed.” 

Her eyes were a little wider than normal. “You didn’t usually talk that much.” 

He crossed his arms and glanced up at her, forcing himself to meet her eyes. Those same eyes, eyes that were showing nothing but indifference. “When?” Though he knew. 

“100 years ago. You barely spoke, you know.” 

“I think I know.” 

A pause.

“Surely we don’t have to cross paths with that thing,” she said, eyes skittering off in the direction of the monster, scanning the dirt path. “I don’t want you to fight it.” 

Link shook his head again. “You won’t have to watch me.” He nodded to Epona, who’s eyes were closed, perfectly content with the repeated petting from Zelda. “I’ll distract the lynel while you take Epona and and ride to the stable as quickly as you can. It’s about half an hour‘s ride, but it’ll be easier with just one person riding her.” 

Zelda furrowed her eyebrows. “Have you fought a golden lynel before?” 

“Since I’ve woken up?” He muttered, and Zelda rolled her eyes, giving him a, _yes, obviously_ look. He nodded. “I have. Once.” 

“How difficult was it?” 

Link was tempted to say _almost harder than fighting Calamity Ganon,_ but he didn’t. Instead he countered, “Did I ever fight a golden lynel back then?” 

She seemed taken aback, but thought for a moment before nodding. “I believe so. But I wasn’t there for it. Some story told among the soldiers about you having fought a golden lynel and...saving your entire troop on a scouting mission.” 

He could tell she had hesitated to say it, but it didn’t bother Link. He had no memory of his fellow knights, and it was probably better that way. “Well...however hard it was for me then, fighting one this time was definitely more difficult.” 

Zelda glanced back to Epona for a moment. “...Speaking of.” 

Walking over to the packs on the horse’s back, she unbuckled a big pouch and reached in, pulling out the—

“I’m not taking the Hylian Shield.” Link said flatly. 

“Wh- _why not?_ ” She looked incredulous. “You’re going to fight the lynel. You haven’t given up on that. At least take—“ 

“I have a shield that will work just fine.” He pulled out the slate, summoning what appeared to be several bronze tubes magnetically sealed together. He pulled the tubes apart, and bright-blue energy connected the tubes to form an eye-shaped guardian shield. 

Zelda, who snapped out of her brief tech-induced distraction, narrowed her eyes at him. “Let me guess, this shield is lynel-proof.” Her sarcasm was thick, which surprised Link for a second. 

He shouldered it onto his back. “It’s a great shield. Robbie made it.” 

“I know. I saw.” 

_Right, of course she did._ “Promise me you’ll ride to safety.” 

“Not unless you promise me you’ll take the shield.” This time, she emphasized her stance by shoving the shield in his direction.

He rolled his eyes, shoving it back toward her. This felt childish. “Princess, _please._ I’ll be alright without it—“ 

She shoved it harder. “No. Take it. You’re about to face something incredibly dangerous! You don’t even have Daruk’s Protection, or any other gifts from the champions, not anymore.” 

He shoved it back. “I’ve faced its kind before, haven’t I?” 

_Shove._ “Why won’t you just take it? Why can’t you explain why you won’t just take it?” 

_Shove._ “I don’t need it, Princess. I—“ 

_Shove._ “It won’t break! It’s the strongest shield in all of Hyrule!” 

_Shove._ “That’s not—“ 

“There’s no reason why you can’t—!” 

_CLANG_

She hadn’t shoved back. 

Link had practically thrown the shield back at her, but she did not catch it. Instead, the shield had fwipped through the air, crashing loudly into the rocks on the opposite side of the path, by the river. 

Silence. 

Link felt it before he heard it. A deep, guttural, unearthly roar, rippling it’s way along the river bed and slamming its vibrations into his bones. 

Then, the pounding of hooves. 

_LYNEL._

He spun to Zelda, who was staring in the direction of the oncoming lynel, pale and frozen. “Princess, go. _Now.”_

He unsheathed the Master Sword and threw out his shield, immediately taking stance. Around the bend of the path, he could hear the lynel’s approach, only getting faster. 

Zelda still had not moved. She stood next to Epona, who was beginning to whinny with anxiety. 

Link changed his mind, switching his sword and shield out for a bow and arrow. Hopefully he could stun the lynel as it approached. 

And approach it did, around the bend, galloping into full view. It’s head was facing the riverbank, but it soon swiveled and set its eyes on Link and Zelda. It then stood still. 

And so did they. 

Link had fought lynels before. He knew that generally, they waited for their enemy to make the first move. 

But he knew how easily they could kill. 

He whispered. “Don’t move.” 

Zelda didn’t. 

In theory, he could use the slate to stun the lynel, then shoot an arrow at its face to stun it further. But the lynel’s eyes weren’t on him, they were on Zelda. 

If he moved to get the slate, it wouldn’t charge at him, it would charge at Zelda. _Perhaps because she defeated its creator_. 

It was as he was pondering that he noticed the lynel’s sword. It was massive, and deadly sharp, but that wasn’t what shocked Link. It was the blood. The sword was covered with blotched stains of blood, still red, maybe even still wet. Then it occurred to him. _The travelers._

This time he could feel his hands beginning to shake. He cursed himself. How was he scared of this? 

He hadn’t been scared of Calamity Ganon. Maybe he would have been a sane person if he had been. 

Zelda was still next to him. Zelda was not shaking. She was staring. At him. 

_Okay._

His hands were too shaky for a bow and arrow. He would have to move fast. 

Quickly, Link threw back his bow and unsheathed his sword. He dashed forward like lightning as the beast unleashed an ungodly roar, clawing its way forward at breakneck speed. Zelda did not scream. 

—:::—

Link had almost died the first time he remembered fighting a lynel.

It had been on Polymus Mountain. He’d been tasked to retrieve some shock arrows by the Zora, something that they couldn’t ever have done. It was an understandable request, but Link wished that he’d been more sneaky. 

While he’d managed to gather the appropriate amount of shock arrows, his departure from the clearing had been less than smooth. He’d tripped over a crack in the stone, sending him tumbling a fair ways down the hill and straight into the lynel’s sight, who’d trained its eyes on him immediately. It’s sword was probably as big as Link’s entire torso, but it barely had a need for it. By the fourth time it had tackled Link to the ground, a rock cut open his back from somewhere in the dirt. The lynel had taken Link’s flinch of pain as an opportunity to swing his sword. It would have cut Link’s arm clean off if Link had moved a millisecond later than he did. What he got instead had been the most painful injury he had experienced since waking up in the shrine: an enormous slice, a gash that spread from his shoulder down his chest and ribs. 

He remembered some things after that, though they were few and far between. Taking a shock arrow in his hand and stabbing it into the lynel’s neck, crawling, stumbling to the edge of the cliff, paragliding in a haphazard flight path towards Zora’s Domain. Falling, unable to hold onto his paraglider...waking up surrounded by trees, on the bed of Mikau Lake. 

It had taken Link an hour to move again. Slowly, he’d sat up, feeling at the gash down his body. Even before he’d touched it, as his hand hovered over the bloody mess, his body had instinctively pulled away. With two fingers, he prodded gently at his shoulder and immediately bit his lip, muffling a strangled yelp. 

Shuffling over to the water’s edge, he could feel his broken ribs, and he could taste the blood in his mouth. He couldn’t have teleported back to the Domain like this - it would only have proven everything that the Zora already thought about Hylians, especially him, who had apparently abandoned the fight against the Calamity. _I’m sorry._

He had Paya to thank for him getting back to Zora’s Domain alive. Before he’d left Kakariko, she’d given him a bottle with a milky potion inside. “For purifying water,” she’d explained. “To d-drink.” 

Hoping it would work well enough, he summoned it clumsily from the Shiekah slate and poured it straight into the lake. The magic in the potion turned the lake’s water to an even brighter blue, as clear as day. He cried as he washed himself off, cringing and gritting his teeth at the pain in his chest, the feel of swollen skin. When he was out of the lake and dry, he wrapped himself carefully in Sheikah-made gauze, telling himself over and over that he couldn’t show up to the Domain this way, looking weak and unable to take care of himself. 

But he didn’t teleport back right away. Instead Link took a while, several minutes longer than was likely appropriate, to lay in the grass and blink up at the sky. 

_She’s watching me._

He couldn’t have explained how he knew. It wasn’t like how he would feel normally under being watched, it was different - less imposing, more of a guidance. But he knew, in that frozen sky, with no clouds being swayed by the wind, that Zelda was watching him. Somehow, from the castle. He’d felt a twinge of embarrassment, hoping she hadn’t lost faith in the one person who could save her. Who was supposed to save her. 

_Hero of Destiny._

He wished he knew why. He wished he could remember her face. Impa had told him that he knew her well. So then where was she, in his clouded mind? 

—:::—

He could hear Zelda crying, somewhere.

The lynel’s growl was dark, the once ivory teeth twinkling with blood and malice, pure hatred smeared through its mouth. It _grinned_ , inexplicably wide, at the sight of its fallen enemy. 

Link couldn’t breathe. His chest was tight, and his legs were aching. He was covered in blood, able to feel it seeping through his clothes. The master sword was in his left hand, still being held like a crutch to keep himself upright. 

He could smell the smoke. The grass around them had been set alight some time ago, a result of the lynel’s blazing fire attacks. Epona had long since run away from fright, though in what direction, Link could scarcely tell. He didn’t know where Zelda was either; his sense of direction was completely fucked after being thrown repeatedly to the ground and flung into the cliffside. 

Link could hear yelling. He panted heavily, pulling himself up further and gathering his balance. He blinked rapidly and looked around. Where was Zelda? 

The lynel was walking slowly towards him. Dragging out its enemy’s suffering. 

He felt hands on his shoulders. Cool hands. 

“Link? Link—!” 

He grunted, now aware of the lynel’s eyes, which suddenly switched to focus on Zelda. He tried to turn and look at her, but the pain in his neck screamed at him to stop. There must have been a cut in his shoulder, though he didn’t remember getting it. 

Thunder rumbled above them as drops of rain began to patter down onto the path. 

“Link. We need to teleport out of here, _now!”_

He couldn’t breathe. The lynel stepped closer. 

“Can’t...”

_”What?”_

He just shook his head. The slate couldn’t warp two people. 

_Try to breathe._

He closed his eyes, trying not to focus on the lynel, instead circling on his own breaths. His diaphragm was tight and strained, perhaps due to a broken rib, although Link still knew nothing about diagnoses. 

_In and out._

Opening his eyes, he saw that the lynel was 20 feet away now, still staring, gripping the massive blade like a reaper’s scythe, calculating but unchecked. 

A strange calm washed over Link as he faced the beast. He wasn’t shaking anymore, even the pain in his gut felt like a dull ache. His hearing had gone to a light pulse, the edges of his vision were going fuzzy. 

Hero of Destiny. 

A pang of _NO_ suddenly tore through him, the deep, hollow and scraping feeling of déjà vu swallowing him whole. He gasped and tried to heave himself up, using his sword, but ultimately failed and sank to his knees, panting. 

_What the hell was that?_

Why was this feeling familiar? 

_”LINK!”_

A sound shot its way into Link’s mind, piercing through the cloud: Zelda’s breathing, completely not in-time with his own, fast and panicked and very, very much not what he’d expected to hear. 

The lynel grunted, walking forward faster as Zelda’s nails dug into Link’s shoulders. “Link, _please,_ you’re badly hurt—“ 

The lynel stopped again, staring them down. Why the hell was it waiting? It wasn’t grinning anymore. 

The rain began to fall faster. Drops of water slid down his face and neck. It felt nice and cool against his wounds. 

Link attempted to shove himself upwards with his sword but almost fell to the ground, stumbling and grunting in pain. Behind him, he heard Zelda cry out in alarm, and the lynel’s eyes went right back to her. 

“Link...save yourself, please...” 

That gut-wrenching feeling returned, this time tenfold, and Link was suddenly seeing double, because it wasn’t a lynel in front of him, but a Guardian. The sickening pink of malice was all he could see. 

Link wanted to retch in the grass. He’d lived this before...

 _Link, save yourself! Go!_

Zelda was crying. He could feel it as she gripped his neck and shoulders. Her whispers were shaky. “Please...Link...”

 _I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me!_

It had been raining then, too. 

The lynel seemed to be tired of waiting. 

_Run!_

The calm that had settled in Link’s stomach dissolved as the monster kicked itself up on its hind legs, and he let out a pitiful cry as it raised its sword. Zelda shrieked.

Then, all he saw was gold. 

She had shoved him backwards, sending him falling into the ashen grass. Link coughed and spluttered as he saw Zelda, now in front of him, screaming as she held her hand up to the beast and surrounded herself with light. The lynel roared and screeched, clawing at the air as the brightness surrounded him and closed in. It became too bright for Link to see, and he slammed his eyes shut. 

He heard her screams.

“NOT HIM!” She bellowed, and Link could feel the warmth radiating from her being. _“YOU WILL NOT._ BY THE NAME OF HYLIA—“ 

He couldn’t have heard the rest if he’d tried. A gaping _BOOM_ resonated through the air, the lynel’s howl being drowned out as it’s existence was ripped from the world. 

Link felt his back give out, the top of his body falling back onto the ground. He couldn’t see, barely registering that his eyes were still clamped shut. He could only hear his own breathing, rough and ragged as his body pulsed in both pain and exhaustion. He let the rain run down his face. It soothed him. 

“Link—“ 

He opened his eyes slowly. 

There she was, still golden, her eyes still a beautiful green as the strength of the goddess flowed through her. Her neck was smattered with blood, new blood. _His blood?_

Her eyes were quite distracting, not only emerald green but sparkling with tears. Jade droplets fell onto his chest like morning dew. 

“You’re going to be fine...Link...we’ll...where’s the...” 

She began searching around in the grass as Link stared at her, eyes wide. 

_You’re going to be just fine..._

“Zelda...” 

It was her turn to stare, blink with those shimmering eyes that were slowly dimming from green to deep turquoise. She held her forehead in her hands as she shook. “I- I...I don’t feel like a Princess right now.”

That was the last thing Link remembered before he sank into darkness. 

—:::—

He stood in the middle of the Spring of Power. 

On top of the water, rather. It felt like marble beneath his feet, smooth and perfectly reflective. He was wearing his Champion’s tunic. The moon hung high. Full and bright. 

In his hands, Link held the Bow of Light. It fit easily in his hold, and he’d never felt more confident with a shot than when he was aiming with it. He was aiming it now, in fact - directly at the goddess statue. It was a perfect shot - sure to take out the monster plaguing this land. 

He could see Zelda next to him, in his peripheral. Before he took the shot, he turned to look at her.

She, too, stood on the water. She was wearing her prayer gown, though it was longer than normal, pooling at her ankles. 

Her face had that look that she seemed to always carry: blank, placid. Indifferent. 

“What are you doing, Link?” 

Link tilted his head at her in question. “I’m going to kill the monster.” 

She looked towards the statue. “That monster?” 

When he looked back at the statue, it wasn’t Hylia. It was Ganon. He felt his environment change, the cool night air fading to the burning, sweaty humidity of Hyrule field. He stared at the beast, Dark Beast Ganon, glowing bright and venomous. 

“Yes, that monster.” He aimed his bow again. It was glowing gold. “If I may, Princess.” 

“Okay.” She said. Then she was gone. 

“Zelda...?” 

He’d always felt confident with that bow, the second it had touched his fingers. 

He missed the shot. The arrow landed somewhere far away, buried in the pale grass. 

—:::—

Link woke up blearily, eyes opening to the low canopy of a stable bed. 

He felt sore all over. It was dark, the only light being the lamps posted outside by the stable counter. The room was relatively quiet, snores emitting from every other bed. Even the table in the corner had no one sitting near it. It must be late.

Turning his head slowly and allowing his eyes to adjust, he saw the bed next to him with no one in it, though the sheets had been thrown back in someone’s attempt to get up. Slowly, the memory came back to him, seeping back into his full consciousness. 

_Hylian Shield. Zelda. Lynel. Soldiers. Epona. Rain. Hylia. Green._

Link felt the creeping urge to get up and find out what had happened. He flexed each muscle slowly, pinpointing any areas of pain. And there definitely were a few: his ankle felt strained, though he doubted it had been seriously injured. His entire left side felt sore - he wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d had a few broken ribs. His right bicep was sensitive - this was potentially the most worrying. He rolled his shoulder experimentally, hissing in pain as his nerves flared. _Alright, then._

Using his left hand as leverage, he sat up, blinking and cradling his forehead as a headache hit him like a ton of bricks. He sat for a few more minutes, letting his eyes adjust further to the dark. Where was the princess? He wondered vaguely if she’d managed to wash the blood off of herself. 

He stood carefully, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He hardly registered the pain in his ankle as he walked towards the stable entrance. It had stopped raining, but the ground was still sleek with mud and grime. 

The stablehand nodded to him as he passed. “You’re awake, I see.” 

Link cocked his head. “What happened?” 

The man huffed, apparently in awe. “You tell me, buddy. We all saw it - the light. Your wife showed up at the shrine up there...” He said, nodding to the shrine up the hill. “We all knew it had to have come from her. She just had this air about ‘er, y’know?” He chuckled. “Brave one. Dragged you halfway down the hill before we saw her and took you both in.” 

Trying to wrap his mind around that, Link just mumbled, “I’m sorry, she isn’t my wife.” 

“Oh.” The stablehand shook his head. “Apologies. Whoever she is, she took out that lynel. We’re all thankful.” 

Link glanced up at the shrine, glowing an even brighter blue in the night. _How did she...?_

Apparently he’d been silent for a moment too long, because the stablehand coughed, awkwardly. Link turned back to him. “Where did she go? I need to talk to her.” 

The man grinned, a small smile. “She’s down by the river. She figured you may want to see her once you woke up.” 

Link nodded in thanks, but before he left, he thought about the travelers that they had run into, on their way over Rebonae Bridge. 

Wetland Stable. _It’s where we’re headed, if you’d like to travel with us._

The blood on the lynel’s sword. 

He whirled back to the stablehand - not that he should have, as the world spun the second he did. He stuttered out his question. “Did - did a couple come by here earlier today, by any chance? A man and a woman...they had a child.” 

The man furrowed his eyebrows. “No, I’m sorry. You two are the only newcomers who’ve stopped by the stable today.” He gazed down the path towards Rebonae Bridge. “That lynel hasn’t been great for business in the past few days. Unusual for its kind to be there, from what I hear.” 

Link nodded, solemnly. “I see.” 

As he walked towards the river, he tried to delve into himself and figure out how he felt, other than generally in pain. There was an unspecified emotion, settling uncomfortably in his chest - hollow and unyielding. Unfortunately, by the time he caught sight of Zelda by the river, he still had no answer for himself. 

She lay in the grass near the riverbed, on her back with her arms spread out on either side. When she heard him approaching, she sat up and smiled at him, which made him stop in his tracks. 

“I’m glad to see you’re alright,” she said, patting the grass next to her in an ask for him to sit. “All you needed was water and rest.” 

He squatted next to her cautiously, trying to avoid further pain to his shoulder as he gazed out at the flowing river. “How did you get us here?” He asked. 

She shrugged. “As it turns out, the slate can teleport two people. We just need to be very close to one another for it to work.” 

Link cringed a little at the small blush that rose to his cheeks. “I’m sorry. If I’d known that, we would’ve just teleported to Kakariko from the castle.” 

“It’s okay. It would have been dangerous to attempt it. The way I saw it, I had no other way of getting you to the stable.” 

“So you figured you’d try.” 

“Yes. And I’m glad I did. The people at the stable were incredibly helpful. They even gave us beds for free in thanks for killing the lynel.”

“Mhm.” Link sighed. “It’ll come back, you know. The blood moon brings monsters back from the dead.” 

She gave a small smile and shook her head. “No, Link. It won’t. I don’t believe the blood moons will happen anymore.” 

He turned to stare at her. “How do you know?” When Link first got to the stable at the Dueling Peaks, he’d met a researcher studying the blood moons. He’d told Link rather excitedly that they had been rising for as long as anyone could remember. 

She shook her head again. “I just know.” 

Amazingly, Link felt a stab of anger at her words, and it tasted inexplicably like defeat. He eyed her wearily. “But _how_ do you know?” He asked incredulously. “Did you somehow seal the blood moon away with Ganon?” 

“I—“ She seemed surprised that he didn’t understand. “I just...don’t feel its presence. The blood moon...it used to hang in the sky, all the time. It only showed its face some nights, over the rest of Hyrule. But I had always felt it.” She didn’t look uncomfortable, holding herself as if she were merely talking about the weather. “I don’t feel it anymore.” 

Link had been squatting, but he then shifted to fully sit down in the dirt. “I think...we need to talk. About things.” 

She cocked her head, giving him that _look_ , the one he’d begun to realize he could barely stand. “What, like why you wouldn’t take the Hylian Shield into a battle where you clearly needed it?” 

He resisted the urge to scowl, instead sighing and cradling the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I should have been safer.” 

Reaching out her hand, Zelda gripped his wrist gently, pulling his attention fully to her. “Could you tell me why you didn’t use it? Honestly.” 

He grimaced, struggling to find the words to assign to the same feeling that had plagued him ever since he’d learned of his past. “I...don’t use any royal gear other than in emergencies.” 

“Why?” She didn’t sound annoyed. 

“I’m no longer what I was. A knight.” 

She was silent, continuing to gaze at him as he turned to face the river. He continued. “I almost don’t feel like I have the right to wear that armor, or to use those weapons. The Hylian Shield...it’s only given to whom the royal family deems worthy.”

He wanted to leave it there. He didn’t want to elaborate, but Zelda squeezed his wrist, urging him to continue. 

“I stopped being worthy the second I died.”

She began to speak, but he held up a hand, knowing it was impolite but not caring. “I couldn’t keep you safe. I didn’t stay strong enough to stay with you, to take down Calamity Ganon alongside you. I left you there, blissfully unaware of what I’d lost, of how much you were suffering. I abandoned you for a century.”

“None of that was your fault.” Zelda’s voice was firm as she scooted closer to him. “You protected me with your life. Had you perished any sooner I wouldn’t have awoken my powers.” She smiled, somehow. “You performed your duty with stunning resilience.”

“My _duty,_ ” he spat. She blinked, evidently surprised at the harshness in his tone, but did not interject as he spoke. “My _duty_ wasn’t only to you, but to everyone. My duty was to the whole kingdom, apparently. Same as you.”

“Do you truly think you failed?”

He hadn’t expected to talk about this. “I...don’t know. I have a feeling that I did. If I'd been stronger, I would’ve traveled back to the castle with you. We both could have stopped the Calamity in its tracks, but we didn’t. I wasn’t strong enough. I _died,_ Princess. And because of that, you were sealed in the castle with no one to deliver a final blow. My...I know I had a father who was a knight. I can only partially picture his face, and something, deep in my subconscious, tells me that he died that day.” He said this with finality. Though it hurt in an abstract sense, it didn’t strike him to the core like he thought it would. “Lives were lost...people thought I was weak. I know Revali did. He basically told me so, the second I arrived at Vah Medoh and freed his spirit.”

Unsure of what he was saying at this point, he fell silent. Zelda didn’t speak, but he could feel her eyes on him. Waiting. 

He felt so lost, now that he’d saved Zelda. That’s truly what it was. It occurred to him that he barely remembered who he used to be. What he was like, what foods he enjoyed, what his favorite color had been. What games, if any, did he like to play as a kid? Did he ever have a girlfriend? Boyfriend? Did he have siblings? Had he really, honestly, always wanted to be a knight?

He remembered Zelda asking him that once, under a tree in the middle of a storm. 

_Would you have chosen a different path?_

He had no idea.

“...I use the Master Sword. Ever since I pulled it from the pedestal in Korok Forest, it’s felt like the only sword I could ever dream of using. I still use it, because the only thing I really know about myself is that I’m the Hero of Destiny. I don’t remember anything else about my life before my death. It’s...the only thing that I can hold onto. That I _know_ is a part of me.”

Zelda sighed next to him. “I’m sorry, Link. I’ve always felt responsible for your loss of memory.”

Link shook his head. “Sometimes I wish I could feel more emotional about everything I’ve lost. But I don’t, because there isn’t anything to remember, nothing to grieve for.” He turned to her. “But you - you remember everything. And still...you don’t grieve. I’ve never seen you cry for what you’ve lost. Why? Is it…”

He blinked, realizing he didn’t know how to put his thoughts into intelligent sentences. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. 

“Does it have something to do with the Goddess?” She pondered. “I don’t know. I’ve...felt strangely at peace, though there is a small nagging in the back of my mind. I know it’s my responsibility to fix all of this.” She gestured to the sky. This time, it was Link’s turn to stay silent as she let her thoughts flow freely. 

“There was a time, during my first few years with Ganon, where I felt the worst.” She continued on. “I know many Hyrulians now refer to it as the Age of Burning Fields. A period where Guardians roamed all of Hyrule freely, destroying everything in their path. I was at a low point then, forced to watch my kingdom fall as I tormented myself day after day.”

Link suddenly looked down, only just then noticing that his and Zelda’s hands were linked. 

“But...I’m unsure whether it was the Goddess’s influence, but years eventually passed outside of myself. I felt weightless, floating amidst malice and hate. It was still grueling, but it was...calming, in a way. I believe that Hyrule began to heal itself once I took back control of my spirituality.”

Nodding and doing his best to follow along, Link wondered if she had intended to tell him this.

“I suppose that calmness still lingers within me, somewhere.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve spent 100 years grieving for my kingdom. The least I can do now that I am free is to continue looking forward.” Zelda smiled at him. “I have you to thank for that. You fought valiantly, Link.”

He nodded absently. “I’m glad you’re safe, Princess.”

It was then that Zelda squeezed him into an abrupt hug. Link, who hadn’t been facing her and who certainly hadn’t expected it, grunted in surprise. Her arms embraced him awkwardly before shifting into a warmer hug around him. She buried her face into his neck, and Link blushed despite himself. “Princess, really, I--” 

Her voice was incredibly quiet when she raised her head and spoke. “Call me Zelda.” She huffed a small laugh. “It’s more than appropriate after all this time. In all honesty, I haven’t felt like a princess in a long, long time.”

Link felt himself turning red. It certainly didn’t _seem_ appropriate, to hug the princess, much less to call her by her name. He wondered faintly if she’d even hugged him back then, or if he had ever referred to her by her name. It probably would’ve been against royal protocol, or something, right?

She seemed to be reading his mind. “I promise. The only person who’d have any say in you treating me as a friend would be me.”

 _Or perhaps Impa,_ he thought vaguely, but then it struck him. What she had just said. 

“Friend?”

“Yes.” That look was back, that same questioning stare, but this time her eyes twinkled with warmth. “That’s what we are, isn’t it?”

He felt flushed under her stare. “Uhm. Well. Yes. But you’re--”

“What?”

“You’re - a _goddess,_ aren’t you?” He burst out.

She laughed. “Yes, I suppose so.”

Link’s mind was whirling, not thinking that his day would have gone like this. He must have made a face, because Zelda suddenly looked concerned. “Unless you...don’t think we are, or don’t want to be.” 

He shook his head. “No, no, I do--” Realizing he needed to pull himself together, he took a deep breath. “I just...don’t know how to be friends with a goddess. I’ve never done it before.” He paused. “At least not that I remember.”

That made her laugh again. She still must have had a princess’s instinct, covering her mouth demurely with her hand and curling in her toes. She looked beautiful like this too. 

“Listen,” she said. “I know that you don’t understand who I am now. I hardly understand it, even after a century of living with who I’m meant to be. My instincts are strong...but I’ve hardly lived in the material world long enough to get used to myself, much less understand the magic that I now possess. If that makes sense.”

“I...think it does.”

She gazed up at the sky, which Link hadn’t noticed before now was littered with stars. “I’m still the same Zelda that I’ve always been. The only difference is that I have a connection to the goddess.” She turned her eyes back to him. “And that’s a good thing. I can feel her with me, guiding me as I travel through the world. She is watching over both of us.”

Link sighed. “I know. Or at least, I think I know. I’m just...unsure of how to act. My only purpose is complete.”

“Incorrect.” Zelda’s tone became almost comically stern. “Defeating Ganon was not your only purpose. If you still wish to label things, then I am still a princess. And if you aren’t a knight, you’re most certainly my trusted confidante. At least.”

He blinked. “I...guess so, yeah.”

She was smiling again. He wondered if she knew how lovely her smile was - he still wasn’t used to seeing it in person. “Your purpose...whatever it may be. There are so, so many possibilities for you still. We live in a new world now, Link.” 

Zelda turned to look back at the stable. “These people have gotten on quite well over the last 100 years. The kingdom has shaped itself without me. That’s okay.” She seemed to be talking more to herself.

She was right, in a way. Their purpose now, regardless of how it would be carried out, was to be shaped by the kingdom around them. An entire culture with which Zelda was only vaguely familiar. And she was saying that she wanted to do this _together_ , not under the strict role of labels but as individuals, tied to each other through destiny. But still by their own volition. 

He thought back to the Calamity’s defeat, when she faced him in the sun as he kneeled before her. How he’d asked to continue on with her, so that they could recover together. In retrospect, Link realized that he’d had no idea what he’d meant by that - it had seemed like the right thing to say. But he suddenly realized how much he wanted that: to be close with her, to share a companionship that was set on reshaping themselves. It felt so right.

She turned back and beamed at him. “So. Friends, then?”

He bashfully returned her smile. “Sure.”

Zelda grinned. “Indeed, then.”

She turned back towards the river, basking in the glow of this new revelation. He was about to stand up and offer that they return to bed, but Zelda abruptly gasped, rushing to her feet and pointing. “Link, over there--!”

He followed her finger, which gestured across the lake. He gasped too.

There stood a familiar brown horse shouldering several travel packs, barely visible on the hill across the water. Her mane was tousled, and her hooves shifted back and forth as she tried to figure out how to cross the river. 

“E-Epona--” Zelda stuttered out, an incredulous grin on her face.

“Oh, goddess _above.”_ Link exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair in relief and exasperation as Zelda cackled wildly behind him. 

—:::—

Kakariko Village was normally humid around this time of year - at least, that’s how Zelda had remembered it. She was surprised to find it not humid, but pleasant, with children running around as if it were a perfect day. Link supposed it was. The sun was high, but the air was cool, a fresh breeze blowing through the pillars on occasion and sweeping through the village. 

“Perhaps since the decline in technical advancement, the climate across Hyrule has changed...especially with the significant decrease in population over the past 100 years...” Zelda said all of this mostly to herself, so Link did’t respond. He had no intention of interrupting her - since Wetland Stable, Zelda appeared to be more comfortable falling back into scientific thinking. It comforted Link in a strange way. 

The two of them had spent several days in Kakariko. Zelda and Impa has been eager to catch up with each other (though not without tears, which Link had mixed feelings about). Paya almost died when she met the Princess, fussing around the house, cleaning every surface twice. She’d nearly tripped on her way to bring Zelda some soup, apologizing profusely for her own awkwardness. Link found it rather charming, and nearly told her so before he realizing that it would probably make the situation worse. He settled for quiet amusement as Zelda accepted Paya’s kindness with the graciousness of royalty. 

They’d arrived via teleportation, leaving Epona at Wetland Stable. Link had originally been nervous about the fast travel, but before he could object, they were already drifting off to Kakariko. The entire village seemed to boil over with excitement and generosity as Link and the princess made their way into town, though not in a suffocating way. They were met with warm smiles everywhere they went, and even given large discounts off of store items, if not outright getting them for free (this pleased Link greatly, making him wonder if he should be saving princesses more often in exchange for free fire arrows). That evening the village treated them to a proper Sheikah feast, complete with rice, pickled vegetables, meat with various spices, pumpkin bisque that was served from a seemingly endless pot, and mochi.  
Koko had been especially excited to serve some of her cooking to Zelda, who hadn’t had a proper meal in a hundred years. Though she ate very little, she shared her thanks with everyone. 

The past few days had been relatively relaxed. To Link’s surprise, Impa did not immediately crack down on Zelda to begin the kingdom’s healing process, not like he’d thought she would. Instead, Impa and Zelda spent most of their time reading. Pouring over texts that would by today’s standards be considered ancient. It was after three days that Link even thought to ask what they were looking for. 

“The Calamity had its telltale signs, some of which we had recognized at the time, such as a significant rise in monster populations.” Zelda told him this as they sat together on the steps of the Ta’loh Naeg shrine. She was holding an apple in her hands, though she hadn’t eaten it yet. “Now that a century has passed, with Ganon’s control over the land having been so deeply driven, we can recognize new signs in retrospect.” 

“Like what?” Link had to admit he was curious. 

“Oh, plenty. Exactly one year before Ganon’s rising, the season’s crops were surprisingly bitter.” At Link’s silence, she clarified. “Normally it wouldn’t hold much of a connection, but the bitterness was unlike the usual taste found in unseasoned crops. It was sour...a deep bitterness that spread throughout your mouth and down your throat. It’s...how the air tasted, when I was fighting Ganon. Like poison.” 

A strange thought. “Really?”

Zelda nodded. “Yes. Impa remembered other things, like how the Hylia River kept changing its current, or how illness throughout Castle Town spread more rapidly as people experienced more intense symptoms.” She took the stem of her apple, twirling the fruit as it hung by its organic string. “Looking through these books will help us remember events of the past, with them having a clearer record. She and I want to put together a text - a guide of what to look for. For future generations.” 

Link furrowed his brow. “Didn’t you seal him away?” 

She smiled sadly. “I did. But I know now, after learning to be one with the goddess, that this was merely one turn in a cycle that has gone round and round for thousands upon thousands of years. After all, the ancient Hero and the Princess sealed Ganon away then, too. He will return.” 

She stopped spinning the apple, gazing at it in thoughtful silence. 

“I think writing down the signs for those in the future is a good idea, Zelda.” Link said, taking a bite into his own apple. “It’ll be worth it for people to be prepared.” 

Zelda nodded. “Yes. I’m planning on traveling to different regions - talking to the Zora for certain, who have lived during the Calamity as well. We can see if they experienced any signs independent of our own.” 

Link grinned. “Well, hopefully their account of history won’t be as full of judgement as I’m sure they’d want it to be.” 

She sighed contentedly. “This will be my legacy. I want to craft it so as to help others...this will be the start of how my destiny will shape future generations. Future lifetimes, I suppose.” 

“Master Link!” 

They turned. Paya was walking up the hill towards them, panting a little. “There are...visitors, in the village. They w-wish to see you both.” 

Zelda blinked owlishly at Link, who stared right back at her. _No clue._

As they trudged down the hill, Link was caught wondering vaguely if Prince Sidon had come by for a surprise visit. It would be very like him. 

But no - it wasn’t. Instead it was someone - two people, really - whom Link had definitely not expected to see. It was the couple they had met near Rebonae Bridge. The woman still carried her enormous travel pack, and her husband, looking none the worse for wear, held their daughter near his chest. 

Zelda gasped, and Link couldn’t help but stare and gasp as well. When the couple saw them, they immediately rushed over. 

“Thank god you two are alright!” Exclaimed Zelda and the man at the same time, which caused them both to start giggling like children. The baby, who’d been dozing, made small sound of confusion as her father laughed. Link was left to gape at the man’s wife, who chuckled and rolled her eyes.

Link cleared his throat. “The two of us didn’t see you at the stable...we’d thought...” 

He squeezed his eyes shut, remembering the blood on the lynel’s sword. It must have been the blood of a boar or fox instead.

The woman shook her head. “No, no. Ravio and I did see the lynel, but in the end, we decided that path to the stable to avoid the rain was definitely not worth it.” She shrugged. “We ended up going up and around, waiting out the rain in a makeshift camp on the edge of the wetlands.”

“I see,” Zelda said before gesturing to the village around them. “What brought you to Kakariko?” 

The husband - Ravio - cut in. “We actually were heading here, too, likely taking the same path as you both, from Wetland Stable. We went back from the wetlands to fetch some horses, and that’s where we heard about—“ 

“Is it true?” His wife blurted, looking rather thrilled. “You two...defeated the lynel and cleared up the path?” 

Link swallowed, unsure of how to answer, but Zelda interjected for him. “Yes...you have Link to thank for subduing it.” 

He blinked at her in surprise, and she just gave a small grin as Ravio and his wife expressed their admiration. 

“Incredible. A golden lynel!” 

“Surely you must be someone of great—“ 

Link shook his head in interruption. “So what brings you to the village?” 

The two of them smiled at each other. Ravio shifted the baby, which had since awoken fully and was looking around the village lazily. “Talia and I were merchants before we met and got married - and that was here. We met in Kakariko.” 

Zelda smiled. “That’s sweet.” 

Talia beamed. “Thank you. We’ve returned to Kakariko for a special occasion, actually...” She turned, carefully taking their daughter from her husband. “We’re going to bathe our daughter in the pond, with the statue of Hylia. It was Hylia who brought Ravio and I together, after all...” She kissed her baby’s cheek. “And who gave us our little girl.” 

Link couldn’t help but give a small smile at that. Talia noticed. “You’re welcome to join us, of course.” 

Zelda gently took Link’s arm and squeezed it. “We’d love to.” 

It was a ceremony, of sorts. Watching the two travelers dunk their daughter, who’s name they found out was Liara, into the pond had been mildly entertaining as she spluttered in surprise. Apparently this was a somewhat common practice, as one of the neighboring Sheikah brought down a bar of soap to help scrub the baby’s hair. Zelda and Link watched from a distance as several villagers and traveling passerby gathered to watch the couple bathe their daughter.

“It’s interesting,” Link said, watching Talia as she splashed water playfully into her daughter’s face. “How they imagine the goddess’s influence.” 

Next to him, Zelda shrugged. “Who’s to say? Perhaps the goddess does have sway in the love lives of her people.” 

“Wouldn’t you know?” 

“I suppose I would.” She quirked her eyebrow at him. “I don’t know. Do you feel like you’re in love right now?” 

Link felt his cheeks turn pink, and Zelda chuckled. “Relax, I’m only joking.” She gazed at Ravio and Talia, who were now drying Liara off with a washcloth. “I am the reincarnation of a goddess who gave up her full form to save her people. I’d wager that it’s up to me and me alone how I act on her behalf, towards my own people. I am my own version of her.” 

Link wondered if being around Zelda naturally increased his curiosity. “Did she really do that?” 

“Yes. Eons ago. She took her people up into the sky.” 

Instinctively, Link turned his gaze up towards the blue. 

It was incredible to think that Zelda was not the only form that the goddess had taken over the course of history. It was even more incredible to think of the Zeldas that would follow, princesses that would look back on both of them, their legacies dependent on the world they were born into. 

“You’ll have your own influence on history, Zelda.” He looked back at her. Her eyes were a beautiful cerulean blue. “Who knows what it could be. You still have so much time.” 

She smiled. “You as well, Hero.”

Hand in hand, the two of them walked back towards the pond.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! You can leave a kudos/comment if you’d like, of course. Feel free to peep me on Tumblr @kittmoon.


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